Shiv Puran
Every question on the site tagged Shiv Puran, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
One of the eighteen major Puranas, dedicated to Lord Shiva's stories and teachings.
137 notes from our sources
Original verses, with English & Hindi translation
श्रीशिवमहापुराण
Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
One of the eighteen Mahāpurāṇas, given in the form Vyāsa received it from Sanatkumāra. Our own translation, verse by verse.
Notes from our sources
Mahashivratri: the first Jyotirlinga, and Sadashiv's Panchanan form
Everyone knows Mahashivratri as the day of Shiv and Parvati's wedding, the speaker says, but the Vishveshwar Samhita of the Shiv Puran tells more: it is also the tithi on which Sadashiv first appeared as the Jyotirlinga — first took murta form, giving himself the shape of a pillar. By kalpa bhed another account places it on Margashirsha Krishna Tritiya in Ardra nakshatra; neither is wrong. And his first svaroop was not single-faced: Sadashiv's complete form is Panchanan, five-faced — as Kameshwar Mahadev of Kamakhya is also held to be, Kameshwari five-faced and Kamakhya six, with further bhed of name and form in the Shri Vidya dhyana mantras. Know only this, he says: Mahashivratri is exceedingly special, and sadhana through all nine days before it bears special fruit.
Nine-day Purana paath in Shiv Navratri for Sadashiv's kripa
One special thing for the nine days, the speaker says: if you want only Bhagwan Sadashiv's kripa — whether for a special sadhana or an ordinary anushthan — then through Shiv Navratri recite the Puranas related to him: as much of the Shiv Puran as you can, or one full samhita of it — the Vishveshwar, the Rudra, the Kailash — completed within the nine days. Take this sankalp with it: may I obtain the kripa of Sadashiv and Bhagavati Parvati, and by their kripa dharma, artha, kama and moksha, all four purusharthas. It is not nishkam — it is a wish — but done through Purana paath by this separate vidhi it surely gives special fruit.
A Vishnu worshipper wears tulsi with a das mukhi rudraksha, worn again for daan and pitru karma
Spiritual wear should match the deity being worshipped — for example, a Tulsi rosary alongside a 10-faced (Das Mukhi) Rudraksha consecrated to Vishnu — and wearing Rudraksha during worship, charitable acts, and ancestral rites is said to multiply spiritual merit.
Why is listening to the Shiva Mahapurana said to destroy sins, and what makes it effective?
Per the Mahatmya of the Shiva Mahapurana, reciting, reading, or listening to it leads to residence in Shiva-loka and destroys past sins — but this benefit comes only when listening prompts genuine self-reflection and moral correction, not from passive hearing alone.
What scriptural punishment awaits someone who disrupts a newlywed couple's private union?
Per Lord Vishnu's teaching in the Shiva Mahapurana, deliberately disrupting a newly married couple's privacy — physically, mentally, or through Tantra-Mantra — causes separation from one's own spouse and children, loss of knowledge and reputation, poverty, and a hundred thousand years in the Kalasutra hell.
Durvasa, Kamadeva, Gautama, Harishchandra and Vishwamitra each lost spouse, children or kingdom for this offense, and each found release only through worship of Shiva
Sage Durvasa, Kamadeva and Brihaspati, Sage Gautama and Chandra, and King Harishchandra and Sage Vishwamitra all suffered separation from spouse, children, or kingdom for this offense — and every one of them found release only through devout worship of Lord Shiva.
Shiva released his Tejas onto the earth for whoever could sustain it, and only Agni, in the form of a dove, could gather it
The deities' anxious weeping and prayers over Tarakasura eventually disturbed Lord Shiva's seclusion with Parvati; angered, he released his divine Tejas onto the earth, declaring that whoever could sustain it should do so — and only Lord Agni, taking the form of a dove, was able to gather it.
Parvati cursed the Devas' wives to remain barren and Agni to become Sarvabhakshi, burning forever for having taken the Tejas
Furious that Shiva's Tejas had fallen to the earth instead of entering her womb during their disrupted union, Parvati cursed the Devas' wives to remain barren, and cursed Agni to become the eternal consumer of all things (Sarvabhakshi), forever suffering burning agony for having taken the Tejas out of ignorance.
Agni placed the burning Tejas in six of the Sapta Rishis' wives, and it passed through the Himalayas and the Ganga to a reed forest, where it became the child Skanda
Unable to bear the burning Tejas, Agni deposited it into six of the Seven Sages' wives while they bathed in the month of Magha; rejected by their husbands once pregnant, the six released the embryo onto the Himalayas, which passed it to the Ganga, who finally set it down in a forest of reeds — where it became the child Skanda (Kartikeya).
On what date was Lord Kartikeya born, and what happened at his birth?
Lord Skanda (Kartikeya) manifested on Shashthi (the sixth day) of Shukla Paksha in the Margashirsha month, bringing auspiciousness across the three worlds and disruption to the realms of demons.
Why did Sage Vishwamitra become Lord Kartikeya's priest despite being born a Kshatriya?
When the newborn Skanda (Kartikeya) asked Vishwamitra — a Kshatriya by birth, son of King Gadhi — to perform his Vedic rites and become his priest, Kartikeya declared him a Brahmarishi by divine decree, and later imparted him divine knowledge, elevating him among the foremost of Brahmins.
How did the four warriors Shakha, Vishakha, Naigama, and Skanda arise, and why are their names recited daily?
After Skanda (Kartikeya) single-handedly destroyed an attacking demon army, a startled Indra struck him with his Vajra — the strikes on his right side, left side, and chest manifested the warriors Shakha, Vishakha, and Naigama; daily remembrance of these four names together is said to grant complete protection.
Why does Lord Kartikeya have six faces (Shadanana)?
When six celestial maidens, the Krittikas, each wished to nurse the newly discovered child as her own son, Skanda (Kartikeya) manifested six faces so he could nurse from all six simultaneously — the origin of his epithet Shadanana.
What weapons and powers did the deities bestow on Kartikeya at his coronation on Mount Kailash?
At his formal coronation on Mount Kailash, the deities presented Skanda (Kartikeya) with their supreme weapons and powers — including Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra, Shiva's Trishula and Pashupatastra, Brahma's Vedas and Brahmastra, and Indra's Airavata and Vajra — before Vishnu formally conferred cosmic sovereignty upon him.
The goat carried the weight of the universe across all worlds in a single moment, and Kartikeya forbade its slaughter, promising the Yajna's fulfillment through his grace
When a Brahmin's sacrificial goat, intended for an Ajamedha Yajna, fled and was found causing disturbances in Vaikuntha, Skanda (Kartikeya) mounted the goat, who carried the weight of the universe across the entire cosmos in a single moment — Kartikeya then declared the animal must not be slaughtered, promising the Yajna's fulfillment through his grace instead.
What benefits come from worshipping Lord Kartikeya and hearing his birth narrative?
Worship of Skanda (Kartikeya) and hearing his birth story is said to remove obstacles in spiritual practice, ease Mangal Dosha (Mars-related astrological afflictions), grant noble offspring to childless couples, and protect children up to age 13 through his consort Devasena (Shashti Devi).
Is it scripturally supported to worship Vindhyavasini, Mahakali, and Ashtabhuja together?
Yes — establishing pictures or idols of Goddess Vindhyavasini alongside Goddess Mahakali (Kali Khoh) and Goddess Ashtabhuja as a Tri-Kona (triangular) grouping is supported in the Shiva Maha Purana.
What doshas does Dattatreya Deepdan alleviate, and what does it bestow?
It is said to alleviate Pitru Dosha, Rishi Dosha (through Atri and Anasuya's grace), and family-deity faults, while bestowing wealth, prosperity, and protection through Dattatreya and Anagha Lakshmi.
Misconception: Shiva first appeared as the agni stambha on Mahashivratri
Citing the Vidyeshvara Samhita of the Shiv Puran, the speaker says Sadashiva first appeared as a Jyotirlinga, a pillar of fire (agni-stambha), between Brahma and Vishnu when the two were contending over who was greater. The tithi at that moment was Margashirsha Krishna Paksha Tritiya and the nakshatra was Ardra Nakshatra. He says many people, and much written content, wrongly state that Shiva first appeared as the pillar of fire on Mahashivratri; he says that is not so, Shiva appeared in Margashirsha Maas.
Origin of Kaal Bhairav and the curse on Brahma: the agni stambha story
The speaker tells the story from the Shiv Puran. Brahma as a swan went up and Vishnu as a boar went down to find the ends of the agni-stambha, the first to return with an end to be the greater. After many kalpas Brahma found no end, but saw a falling ketaki flower and made it promise false witness in return for boons; Vishnu came back empty-handed and told the truth. When Vishnu then worshipped Brahma with sixteen upacharas on the strength of that lie, Shiva emerged in anger from the pillar, and from between his brows a terrible being appeared, Kaal Bhairava, who cut off the lying Brahma's fifth head with his nails. Carrying the brahma-kapal, Bhairav incurred the dosh of Brahmahatya. Brahma and Vishnu begged forgiveness; Shiva calmed, but cursed Brahma that he would not be worshipped in mrityu loka, while granting that he would be worshipped everywhere in yajna and in the form of Vishwakarma.
How is the 13-lamp Deepdan ritual performed, and what does Kubera's own origin story illustrate about it?
13 large ghee lamps with double, turmeric-tinted wicks are lit for at least 1.25 hours, positioned so the light directly illuminates the Shivlinga up to its crown — the Shiva Purana's Gunanidhi story illustrates the power of this act, since simply brightening a temple lamp wick led to his rebirth as a king and ultimately as Kubera, Lord of Wealth.
What is the Panchakshari mantra, and where did it come from?
The speaker says Bhagwan Shiva's most famous mantra is the Panchakshari Mantra, whose mahatmya fills the Shiv Mahapuran. When Shiva first manifested his sakar, five-faced form, the Gayatri appeared from his five mouths and with it the Pranav; Pranav has two forms — the subtle one is Omkar, and the gross, direct one is this Panchakshari, born of the five swaroops Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and the rest. So a sadhak who does its japa gains the grace of all five mahaswaroops, their tattvas come to dwell in his Aura, and all four Purusharthas are accomplished — which is why it is a mahamantra. The Shiv Mahapuran also says, he adds, that at the most divine time of Mahashivratri, Shiva as guru and Jagdamba as guru-mata gave the Diksha of this very mantra to Vishnu and Brahma. He opens by saying that a human birth in which one does no Purashcharana of any mantra and gains no mahashakti's grace is wasted — even if only trouble drives us to it.
How much japa gives Panchakshari siddhi according to the Vishveshwar Samhita
The speaker says the Vishveshwar Samhita of the Shiv Puran states that a person who does at least 25 lakh japa of the Panchakshari in his life becomes mukt. The general rule of Mantra Siddhi is one lakh japa per syllable, so five lakh accomplishes this five-syllable mantra; but in Kali Yuga dharma — Shiva's bull, Vrishabh — stands on one leg of four, so a fourfold Purashcharana of 20 lakh is taken as giving siddhi. The Samhita illustrates it by varna: a kshatriya who does five lakh sheds his kshatriya-hood and becomes a brahmin, another five lakh sheds brahmin-hood, and a third five lakh gives siddhi — 15 lakh; a person of the fourth varna does four purashcharans and gains siddhi in the fifth, becoming dvija and attaining mantra-vipratva at 25 lakh. This, he says, is no exaggeration but shastra — woman, shudra, anyone at all can become pure and attain siddhi by this japa; that is what is written, and what experience shows may differ still.
In Paush, three consecutive days of bathing in flowing water with sandhya at usha-kaal is the standing rule
That in the month of Paush, if one bathes for at least three days consecutively in Ganga ji or in any sarita — that is, any source of flowing water, a river — and then performs sandhya in the morning at usha-kaal, then by doing it for three days alone the calming of our sins begins by dev-kripa, and sins are destroyed very swiftly indeed.
How much more fruit does japa give at a temple or a lake bank?
From the Shri Shiv Mahapuran he recalls that japa done at home, if done in a temple, gives a hundred times more fruit; and if done at the bank of a sarovar, in a Shiva temple situated on the bank of a sarovar, a hundred times more than that again — that is, a thousand times more than pujan and paath done at home.
Who guards the banks of the Ganga?
Studying the puranas, he says, you will find the Ganga mahatmya described in many of them — from Narad and the rest, from the Shiv Mahapuran to the Srimad Devi Bhagavat, everywhere. And you will also learn that it is said that at every bank of Ganga ji, in every boundary that has been fixed, there is a station of several thousand rakshaks, who keep watch over that bank.
What does the Banasura episode illustrate about laukik and paralaukik fruit?
It is said in the Banasura episode in the Shiv Mahapuran, he says, that its fruit is paralaukik and not laukik — and you want the laukik fruit. If you do some punya unknowingly, or if at the last time you are committing much paap and, when you are about to be slain and Shiva ji stands with the trishul ready to break your torso, you say Trahimam Mahadev Mahadev Mahadev, we have said Mahadev three times, protect us — protection will not happen. Mahadev is not going to protect. It is made clear there: at the last moment you remembered him, that is fine, you will obtain Shiva loka; but now you will have to be cut, now your protection cannot happen. This bhava, he says, should have come earlier.
Should the Shivling and the arghi be kept joined together?
The Shivling and the arghi should not be kept joined, he answers. The shastrokta view is there: when you read in the Shiv Mahapuran, in the Vishwa Samhita, in the subject of the mahatmya of the Shivling, you will find the proof that in the Shivling we are to keep at home for the sake of pujan, the one that is to be established in the house, the arghi and the Shivling should be kept separately.
Can Bhairav give gati to pitr who will not move on?
He says these forms also have a very great contribution in stopping such entries and in bringing about their gati and mukti. Many times the discussion arises that Narayan Bali has been done, Tripindi has been done, and still the pitr are not taking gati; these kaad pitr are causing great upheaval. Such beings are a yoni too — a vayavya yoni, a vayu-pradhan body — and their attachment may be to food or to a body.
The Vidyeshwar Samhita, carrying the complete vidhi-vidhan of Shiva pujan, was covered earlier in the series
The Vidyeshwar Samhita, which carries the complete vidhi-vidhan of Shiva pujan, has already been heard. The speaker says many listeners performed those vidhans at Shivratri and, for the first time in their lives, kept the Mahashivratri vrat awake through the whole night in ratri jagran.
Why must kalpa-bheda be understood before hearing the Sati katha?
Because we learn that Sati's abandonment happened while the Treta yuga was running, when Ramchandra was in the forest and Bhagavati Sati went to test him. Yet later in the same Shiv Mahapuran we read that many yugas afterwards, when Sati burns herself in the fire, Vishnu is present there and is protecting that yajna in every way. So how was Shri Ramchandra a purnavatar? The speaker says these questions should arise in the mind.
Should a devotee argue about kalpa-bheda with others?
There is no need to display these things before others, the speaker says. But these subjects should be understood so that doubt does not arise in a bhakta's own mind. The reckoning of the kalpa and the description of the Manus — under which Manu's rule an event occurred and that time passed — is found throughout the Shiv Mahapuran.
Why is criticising Brahma called kutark?
These matters have been placed here in the form of leela for us, he says, and such people do not understand it. Those who can create many brahmandas in a moment, who are called the Vidhata, are prattled about idly. This is the tyag of our devatas, which wicked people do not understand because a veil of durbuddhi lies over their intellect. Understanding the puranas is not so easy, and offering kutark to one who tries to explain is the greatest foolishness.
How did Vishnu, Brahma and Rudra arise from Sadashiva?
It is said further in the Shiv Mahapuran that Maheshwar, Mahamaheshwar Sadashiva, manifested Vishnu from his left side, Brahma from his right portion, and Rudra from his heart. That same Rudra, by a mere fraction, was told to appear from Brahma's forehead, and so appeared from Brahma's forehead too.
What order of dharma, artha and kama does Sati's life show?
First Bhagavati Sati performed dharma-yukta karma — walking the path of dharma she performed tapasya, and for the fulfilment of her desires she did tapa in order to marry Bhagavan Sadashiva. Then her marriage took place. After dharma comes the earning of artha and the fulfilment of desires: after the marriage with Bhagavan Shiva she sported for many years and fulfilled her wishes — I want a house, I want to roam here, I want to roam there.
What did Shiva answer about why he bowed?
Bhagavan Shiva said: O Sati, I speak the truth; there is no chhal of any kind in them. It is by the effect of a boon that I made pranam to them with respect. The speaker says that if listeners understand this subject well today, then all the upside-down talk about Shiva and Vishnu — who is greater, Shiva or Vishnu — the whole concept will become clear, and they will never again be able to make a distinction between the two.
Why does the Shiv Mahapuran account differ from the Manas?
She tells Ram that Shiva with his attendants came into the forest while roaming the earth, saw him with Lakshman engaged in the search for Sita and afflicted with separation, made pranam to him and went; that praising his Vaishnavi mahima he sits under the vat tree with great joy, having become overwhelmed without even seeing his four-armed Vishnu form; and that hearing his words a doubt arose in her mind, so with his permission she came to test him. The speaker notes that in the Ramcharitmanas and the rest the subject is different there, because there matters connected with Bhagavan Vishnu have been placed, so that katha is different; this is the Shiv Mahapuran, so it is set down according to this.
Was Sati burnt in the yogagni in this same yuga?
Understand the subject of the mahayuga here, the speaker says, whose description has already been given, and how kalpa-bheda works, as told in an earlier live. Here that kalpa has already passed. In every kalpa, and every time the Treta yuga comes, each time he takes avatar. In that mahayuga that yuga passed; and in that yuga Bhagavati Sati was not burnt in the yogagni — this happened to her. Each time it is different; as it may have happened that time too, but that would be the previous one. This is why the kalpa vidhan should be understood, otherwise you will become confused here.
How should the puranas be understood as a time frame?
That will have run in another kalpa, the speaker says — the time frame that runs. Suppose that today, whatever event is going to occur today, is either coming down from before or is going to reach its end and will be finished. Today's one has been carried forward. It will then happen the next time this day comes. The subject of the purana, he says, can be understood only in this way with a time frame; otherwise you will not understand it.
What does the Shiv Mahapuran say about twenty-five lakh Panchakshari japa and brahmanatva?
Asked whether a Shudra may wear the yajnopavit, and whether even then he must do 25 lakh Panchakshari according to the Shiv Mahapuran in order afterwards to become a Brahman, he says that according to the statement of the Purana in the Shiv Mahapuran it is this: that when you complete a japa of 25 lakh, you attain brahmanatva — and what it means to attain brahmanatva should also be understood. As to wearing the yajnopavit, he does not think it is stated anywhere that he should wear it.
What is the difference between roli, kumkum and sindoor?
Kumkum too is of two kinds. The kumkum that people of the south apply is a different one — it is thin. Roli is a little thicker; in it there is a proportion of chuna and haldi. Kumkum is somewhat of a katha colour; that is a separate thing. And that orange sindoor of Hanuman ji which people call kumkum — how can that be called kumkum, it is sindoor.
The Brahma-Vishnu quarrel, the jyotirlinga, the Ketaki testimony and the boons
The speaker recounts from the Shiv Puran that Brahma and Vishnu fought over which of them was superior, and Bhagavan Sadashiva appeared between them as a Jyotirlinga; to find its beginning and end, Brahma went upward and Vishnu downward. Brahma had the Ketaki flower give false witness, for which he was punished while Vishnu received a boon. Brahma was later given many boons again: he would have no murti or mandir anywhere in the world, but no yajna or similar rite would ever be complete without him and his worship, and he was established in the form of Vishwakarma.
The first mantropadesh: Sadashiva in the Panchanan form, at the site in Arunachal
The speaker says the Shiv Puran describes Bhagavan Sadashiva manifesting in his five-faced Panchanana form after the boons, and giving upadesh through those five mouths to Brahma and Vishnu. The Shivling in which he appeared for them is said to be situated in Arunachal Pradesh, as described in the Purana, and that is the place where Sadashiva gave mantropadesh to Vishnu and Brahma for the first time.
Who are the gurus of Brahma and Vishnu?
The speaker says the avatars of Vishnu have their gurus described, but the question is about Narayana himself and Brahma. His answer from the Shiv Puran is that the first Diksha Bhagavan Sadashiva ever gave was given to Brahma and Vishnu, with Bhagavati Parvati as guru mata; Sadashiva is their param Guru and Jagadamba Parvati their guru mata. That is why the Shiv Mahapuran repeatedly has Sadashiva address Brahma and Vishnu as putra, sons. He adds that this is no fabrication, and that the stuti Brahma and Vishnu then offered is found in the tenth adhyaya of the Vishweshwara Samhita.
A Narayana devotee and the Shiv Mahapuran: read your own form's Purana, but know all eighteen
Anticipating the objection that the Shiv Puran shows Shiva as supreme while a listener is a servant of Narayana and holds Narayana supreme, the speaker answers that one should recite the Puranas connected with whichever form one is drawn to and surrendered to. But one must still have knowledge: through the eighteen Puranas and the Upa-Mahapuranas one should be correctly informed about every form.
Why were the Puranas composed when the Vedas exist?
The speaker says the Puranas were composed so that the Vedas could be understood well, because not everyone can do Veda paath: not everyone has the Adhikara to recite those mantras, and without a special Guru they cannot be studied correctly, the Veda being a matter of adhyayan. Through the Puranas all of that reaches a person easily, so one should recite one's Sanatan Puranas from time to time.
How does the writing differ for women and the fourth varna?
Those who are of the fourth varna, and those who are women, will all write "namah" afterwards and "shivaya" first, the speaker says, and then, having offered it, will do their path and puja with it.
Why are these tithis parva tithis?
Because of Tripurasura, whose story, the speaker says, we have heard in the Shiv Mahapuran live. Having obtained a boon from Bhagavan Brahma ji, they made the creation of three puras, established in the sky. The boon they asked was that only when their three flying puras came into one single line at a particular tithi and nakshatra, and someone pierced them with a single arrow, would they be destroyed.
How were the three puras destroyed?
In that story, the speaker says, you will have heard in what manner Bhagavan Shiva slew these three puras with one single arrow — which arrow it was, and what the mantra and the vidhi vidhan were, is fully described in the Shiv Mahapuran. How the Pashupatastra was employed by Bhagavan Shiva he has described at length in a separate live, which listeners may hear.
Does reciting the Bhagavat and the Shiv Mahapuran remove suffering?
Asked whether sufferings are cut by reciting the Shrimad Bhagavat Katha and the Shri Shiv Mahapuran, the speaker says they absolutely are cut. See the phalashruti written in the Puranas, he says — infinite times punya is obtained; it should simply be done in the proper way, with vidhi vidhan. But "proper way" does not mean you should give up water: after bathing in the morning, sitting on an asan before Bhagavan, if you recite even one adhyaya daily, then you will have no particular need of anything else.
How is a parayan of the Shiv Mahapuran planned?
A parayan of it is done, the speaker says — that we will complete the whole recitation of the Shiv Mahapuran in so many days, or that in our whole life we will do it twelve times or eleven times; it should be done gradually in that way, seeing how much time it takes you. There are samhitas: see how many days you will take to complete one samhita, and do it accordingly. And if you wish to recite only one of the samhitas, do the Vayu Samhita, or do the Rudra Samhita — that we will do the anushthan of the Rudra Samhita again and again. It is not necessary that you recite the whole Purana.
What was Kuber ji's previous birth?
Kuber ji's old name was Gunanidhi. As discussed in the Shiv Mahapuran, he tore his own gamchha, made a wick of it for a lamp and increased its light in a Shiv temple so that he could steal — but by the very prataap of that, in the next birth he became a king, and in the birth after that he attained the very post of Kuber.
How is the purashcharan of the Shiv Panchakshar mantra done?
Twenty-seven lakh, he says — listen to the Shiv Mahapuran live. The Panchakshar is described in full detail there; the playlist has been made. He tells Meghnath ji to listen to the live, where it is given with proof: that beginning from Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi up to Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi you have to do five lakh japa of the mantra; then how many ahutis will be offered by the Brahmins seated with you and what its vidhan is; and after that how the Shiv pujan and Rudra pujan will happen. The whole vidhan has been given in the live with the Shiv Mahapuran, attested.
Why the next stage of the Shiv Mahapuran is being taken up
The speaker says that on hearing this next stage of the Shiv Mahapuran, a great deal of depth will be added to the japa and tapa listeners have been doing until now — because each swaroop has its own special significance and its own fruit, and all of that will come to be known here. There will be discussion of the various avatars, and morale grows in this way too, by hearing and seeing the kathas of bhaktas.
Who asks the question that opens the Rudra Samhita?
Shaunak ji asks Suta ji to tell of the various avatars of Bhagwan Shiva through which he did the welfare of many good people. Suta ji answers that one should hear these accounts with the senses subdued and the mind fixed in bhakti, and that he is repeating what Nandishwar ji had said when Sanat Kumar ji asked him this same question in an earlier age.
A stated measure of panchakshari japa is described as bringing one the post of Brahma ji
The speaker recalls the earlier discussion of the mahima of the panchakshari at the beginning of the Shiv Puran, where it was described how much japa of the panchakshari brings one the post of Brahma ji, and with it the responsibility of creating the srishti.
How are the eight murtis linked to Shukracharya and the Mahamrityunjay?
The speaker reminds listeners that a few days earlier in this Shravan month it was discussed how Shukracharya obtained the samarthya of the Mahamrityunjay mantra in the Abhimukta kshetra of Varanasi, in Kashi, and that at that time he made stuti of the eight swaroops. Complete success in the Mahamrityunjay, he says, is not possible without the grace of Shukracharya and of Ashtamurti Shiva — something which is skipped in the present day.
The katha runs only to prompt listeners to their own swadhyaya, and is not a katha of the Vyas gaddi
The speaker says this katha of the Shiv Mahapuran runs only in order to prompt listeners to do swadhyaya themselves. It is not a katha of the Vyas gaddi, he says — in it there are no such niti-niyam and that kind of maryada, which is why a Vyas gaddi katha cannot take place in the night at all. This one is only to make Sanatan Dharma awake, and he asks listeners to read the mahatmya of the eleventh adhyaya of the Bhagavad Gita to see why he takes so much trouble.
Not being a dedicated kathakar, he asks listeners to take up their own swadhyaya rather than rely on his telling
He says that after all the many mantras, paths and japa and everything else that goes on, an unsteadiness remains — the worry that this or that should not be dropped. He is not a dedicated kathakar, he says, so a slight difference may occur from him; listeners should do swadhyaya and understand it better.
The account turns next to the Vyasas and the Shiva avatars up to the twenty-eighth yuga, which will require memorising
The speaker says the three principal forms — Panchanan, Ashtamurti and Ardhanarishwar — were discussed today, and that what follows will be a little more intricate and will require memorising. In coming lives he will simplify and explain the Vyasas and Shiva avatars from the first to the ninth Dvapara of the Varaha kalpa — how many Shiva avatars there were and how many Vyasas — and which swaroop belongs to the twenty-eighth yuga of the present Shwetavaraha kalpa.
What is the pramaan for kumkum and chandan on the lingam?
The speaker cites कुमकुम चंदन लेपित लिंगम — a line listeners will have read in Adi Shankaracharya ji's Lingashtakam. The proof from the Shiv Mahapuran, he says, will come to us further on: when the discourse of Upamanyu ji is taken up and the Vayaviya Samhita is studied, all of this description will come in it too.
What does the nitya pujan of Shiva ji actually consist of?
The speaker says that if you read the Shiv Mahapuran, the Ling Mahapuran or the Vayu Mahapuran — the Shiv Mahapuran being a portion of the Vayu Mahapuran — all these things are told there in great detail: how the dwar pujan of the nitya pujan karma will be done, how the mandap pujan, how the symbolic shikhar pujan, how the first pujan of Nandi ji, then how the pujan of all Shiva ji's ganas seated in the temple — Ringi, Bhringi, Nagraj Vasuki, Bhairav ji, Mahakal — then Bhagavati Parvati, Skanda ji, Ganapati ji, his trishul, his damaru, and his Panchanan swarup.
How is such a being actually liberated?
The speaker recalls the example he has given before from the Shiv Mahapuran: for liberating the pishaach named Bindu, an ordinary attempt was first made, and afterwards, having bound him — with the capacity to do so — Tumburu the Gandharva recited the whole Shiv Mahapuran by singing it to him. In the same way, either those whose gati is to be caused must themselves agree that yes, have my gati done; or, if they do not agree, some sadhak strong enough must bind them by his own shakti with pasha vidya and the rest and make them agree; or, if they still do not agree, then they should be given to some Brahm sthan, some separate place. A place should never be given to them in the house.
Does merit earned by worship cancel the fruit of a misdeed?
No. The speaker says the Shiv Mahapuran states it plainly: merit earned after a misdeed will certainly bear fruit, but in the spiritual world and the next world, not in the material one. The misdeed committed here still has to be borne here.
Do the Kannappa and Gunanidhi stories prove that bhava alone is enough?
The speaker says bhava works up to a level, and rejects the two stories people cite for "offer anything with bhava and God accepts it". Kannappa, who offered meat to Shiva, was a rustic forest man with no literacy and no Vedic knowledge of how to do abhisheka and pujan, so he worshipped by the bhava he had — and he also plucked out both his eyes and offered them; do you, he asks, have bhava like that, when a scratch on the way to the temple makes you point a finger at God? As for Gunanidhi lighting a lamp with his gamchha and becoming Kuber — that is incomplete information: per the Shiv Mahapuran he became a king in his next birth, had deepdan done across his kingdom, was born as Kuber only after that and still had to worship Bhagavati and Shiva in that birth before receiving the full post.
The Sati Khand is read to settle whether the pitrs existed already or arose only after someone attained death.
The speaker announces that from the Sati Khand of the Rudra Samhita in the Shiv Mahapuran they will learn how the pitrs first arose: whether pitrs came into being only after the world was made and someone attained death, or whether the pitr yoni was already fixed by God, the pitrs standing in a divine form from before.
Which name of Sandhya from the Shiv Mahapuran can be given to a child?
He remarks that the Shiv Mahapuran carries very good names for those living in the grihastha ashram, for when children are later born to them. Divakshanta, he says, is one name of Sandhya, and it is a very beautiful name.
What does the episode teach about attaining a high post?
They have heard earlier in the Shiv Mahapuran that one can attain even the post of Brahma, Vishnu or Mahesh. Look again at those not attaining moksha: Brahma is a pad. Even after going to that pad, if you make abhiman, you cannot be saved — whether you are Indra, Varun, Yama, Kuber, one of the ten dikpals, or Brahma himself.
What does the Shiv Mahapuran say about Panchayatan pujan?
For Panchdev pujan, for Panchayatan pujan, it has been said in the Shiv Mahapuran too, he says — they had discussed it — so there is no difficulty. Do we, who do the seva of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, not do the seva of Mahadev the next day, he asks. Everyone does. Those who are great Param Vaishnavas — all of them performed rudrabhishek and the rest.
Which five faces give the five letters, and what is the Panchakshari called?
Sadyojat, Vamdev, Aghor, Tatpurush, Ishan: from these five mouths the five letters came out and the Panchakshari was made. It is described in the Shiv Mahapuran, he says — we are not speaking from our own mind. And that Panchakshari has been called Gayatri directly, in the form of the laghu Gayatri. Those who have no adhikar for Gayatri will do this. And it was told that if you cannot do ten malas of the Gayatri mantra, which is long, then do ten malas of the Panchakshari. No other mantra has been given that value.
Is the last opportunity of the yuga running now?
The last opportunity of the yuga is not running, he says. The first part of the second parardh has only just begun. Fifty years of Brahma have passed; the 51st year is now running. It is the seventh Manu; there are fourteen Manus, and when the rule of the fourteen Manus is complete, then pralaya will come. At present it is only the seventh; seven more Manus will still come. And the yuga of one Manu is 71 mahayugas — that is, the four yugas will pass 71 times. At present the 28th is running. It is a very, very long time before pralaya comes; and pralaya too is of four kinds.
No reference for the neel Aparajita restriction was produced from the Sharada Tilak, the Shri Vidyarnava or the Kularnava
He says he followed the matter for three or four days so that he could find the proof and himself forbid people if it matched. He asked for it from the Sharada Tilak, from the Shri Vidyarnava, from the Kularnava — from anywhere. Nothing was given from anywhere; they only said it is not done, our guruji said it is not done. No proof was found.
Which months does the Shiv Mahapuran name for the Panchakshari purashcharan?
In the month of Bhado and in the month of Ashadh too there is pujan of Shiva ji and japa of the Panchakshari; and for the Panchakshari purashcharan the month of Bhadrapada and the month of Magh — these two months — have been stated in the Shiv Mahapuran, in the seventeenth adhyaya. Read the seventeenth adhyaya of the Vidyeshwar Samhita, he says, and you will find it.
Ganapatya, Saura, Shakta or Vaishnava — every sampradaya and panth must do the Shiva abhishek in Shravan
Just as it is said that whether you are Shaiva, Shakta, Vaishnava or of any sampradaya or panth, everyone should keep the Navratri vrat and do Bhagavati's puja, and everyone should go to the Kamakhya kshetra and the Vindhya kshetra for her darshan and pujan — in exactly the same way, in the month of Shravan, whether you are Ganapatya, Saura, Shakta or Vaishnava, you must certainly do the abhishek and shringar of Bhagwan Shiva's shivling. It must not be bypassed, and not even one day should be missed.
What falls on the same day in South India?
The speaker says that in South India the month of Kartik is running at present, so the tithi of Kartik Purnima will fall — so the deepdaan of Kartik Purnima is taking place there. A brother from South India wrote to him about Bhagavan Shiva as described in the Shiv Mahapuran: as they perform pujan there in Ardra, and as Bhagavan manifested in the form of the jyoti stambha in the month of Margashirsha in the Ardra nakshatra, after which his sakal form was established as Arunachaleshwar Mahadev.
What is the Panchakshari purascharan prayoga with ghrita and mishri ahuti for obtaining Lakshmi?
You are doing the Panchakshari and have completed five lakh japa; Shani Deva is in the eleventh bhava for the sake of labh, he says. There is a vidhan of doing its purascharan and then making ahuti with ghee mixed with the mishri that goes with the ghrita, along with bilva patra and the rest, for the sake of obtaining Lakshmi. If such a person does this thing vidhivat after accomplishing the siddhi — purascharan being the point at issue — then the vidhan of the pujan of the Panchanan Mahadev forms applies, which he says is discussed in full in the Shiv Mahapuran; he tells listeners to read the Dvaishva Samhita of the Shiv Mahapuran, where it is discussed how the purascharan of the Panchakshari mantra is done.
Should the Rudra Samhita path be done in Sanskrit or Hindi?
Sahil ji has written about doing three paths of the Rudra Samhita. If you do it pronouncing it in Sanskrit, that is most excellent, the speaker answers; and if you do it in Hindi too, with bhava, then fruit will certainly be obtained.
What does the Shravan mahatmya say about even a little practice?
And suppose someone was going to do only 21 and 21 mala and could not even do that. However many days he does it, he says — in the mahatmya of Shravan there are many, many such matters. Read these subjects in the Shiv Puran, he says, which are furnished with shastra pramana; in the mahatmya of Shravan in the Mahapuranas, one has been carried across even by taking the name once or twice. Something at least will be of use.
What does the Shiv Mahapuran say of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma's ranks?
Bhagavan Vishnu is the rajkumar, he says, and this has been discussed in the Shiv Puran — listen to the playlist that is up. The subject occurs in the very prasang of Shankhachuda. Brahma ji says: O Mahadev, you are the king; Bhagavan Narayan is your yuvraj; and I am your purohit. So never insult them and never keep their heads empty.
Reciting Puranic marriage stories to remove marriage doshas
The speaker says that anyone whose horoscope carries a marriage-related Dosha — a flawed seventh house, a pret-pishach yoga there, Pitru Dosha, Grahan Dosha, a widowhood yoga in the girl's or the man's chart, delayed marriage, or a spouse who keeps falling seriously ill after marriage — should recite the marriage stories found in the Puranas. He says the dosha is destroyed from the root and health improves; doshas of untimely death and widowhood are also removed. This applies to the marriage story of whichever deity is one's own ishta, not only Shiva-Parvati or Ganesha-Kartikeya.
The Ganesha–Kartikeya marriage contest: circling the earth versus circling the parents
The speaker narrates the last chapter of the Kumar Khand of the Rudra Samhita: when Shiva and Parvati decide their sons are fit for marriage, Ganesha and Kartikeya each insist on marrying first, and the parents set the condition that whoever first circles the whole earth will be married first. Kartikeya sets off at once; Ganesha, who cannot walk even a kos, instead bathes, seats his parents on an asana, worships them, circles them seven times and prostrates seven times, then asks to be married — and when told to go round the earth like Kumar, answers that by worshipping and circling his parents he has, through his buddhi, already circled the ocean-bounded earth seven times. The speaker notes the text keeps saying this was done "taking recourse to lokachar": there was no real dispute, the whole leela is a message for society.
Parents as a son's greatest tirtha and the husband as a wife's
The speaker says the Vedas and dharma shastras state that whoever worships his parents and circles them obtains the same fruit as circling the entire earth, and that a parent's lotus feet are a son's great tirtha — other tirthas are far away, this one is at hand. For a son the parents, and for a woman her husband, are the best tirtha within the home; a wife gains the fruit of tirtha by serving her husband and a son by serving his parents. He adds the text's warning: one who leaves his parents at home to go on Teerth Yatra incurs the sin of killing them both, so if the parents are able, never go without taking them along. Tirthas come only after serving one's parents with body, wealth and intellect as far as one can.
Keeping the intellect alert in a crisis instead of panicking
The speaker relates Parvati's praise of Ganesha after his argument: a pure intellect has arisen in you, and one whose buddhi keeps its excellence even when a crisis is upon him has his sorrow removed just as darkness is removed at sunrise. He stresses that this is meant for everyone: crisis comes to all, and the trouble begins when one panics, loses heart and stops thinking with the intellect — he recalls how a hare made a mad lion fall into a well. Parvati adds that Ganesha has followed the dharma laid down for a child, and the parents accept his word as final.
Ganesha's wives Siddhi and Buddhi and his sons Shubh and Labh
The speaker says that besides the Prajapatis Manu and Daksha there is a Prajapati named Vishvarupa, whose two daughters Bhagavati Siddhi and Bhagavati Buddhi — the pair everyone calls Riddhi-Siddhi — were married with great festivity to Ganesha. Ganesha's two sons are Shubh-Labh, also called Kshema and Labha in the Puranas: Kshema (Shubh) from the wife Siddhi and Labh from the wife Buddhi. With this Shiva and Parvati became grandparents and their household was complete.
Why Kartikeya left Kailash for Krauncha mountain in the south
The speaker says that when Kartikeya returned from the earth parikrama, Narada — made the sutradhar before every great event, which is why he is called the mind of Bhagavan — told him by Shiva's inspiration that his parents had used the parikrama as a pretext to marry Ganesha, who now had two wives and two sons. Kartikeya bowed to his parents in anger, renounced Kailash despite their pleas, and went south to Krauncha mountain, where he remained Kumar for ever; the name Kumar destroys sins and grants Brahmacharya. The speaker calls the whole leela a matter of deep secrecy: it laid the foundation for the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, was tied to Shiva's tasks against the three sons of Tarakasura at the Tripura slaying, and was a device to send Kartikeya south, for otherwise the asuras rampant there would have kept harming Sanatan — which is why he is in the south even today.
Benefits of reciting the Ganesha–Kartikeya marriage chapter of the Shiv Mahapuran
The speaker says the chapter shows Shiva and Parvati's love for Skanda and tells Ganesha's story, and its mahatmya is that if this single chapter is recited daily, any separation or distance from one's parents or one's son is removed and a way opens. Whoever reads, teaches, hears or narrates it has all wishes fulfilled: a brahmin gains brahma-varchas, a kshatriya victory, a vaishya wealth, a shudra excellence; the sick are freed from disease, the fearful from fear, and such a person is not troubled by bhoot-Preta. It is sinless, increases fame, happiness and lifespan, grants heaven, incomparable sons and grandsons, liberating knowledge of Shiva and Shiva bhakti; those seeking Shiva's advaita knowledge and welfare should always hear it.
Listening to the Shiv Mahapuran is not enough — it has to be studied, even a chapter a day
Nothing will come from listening alone; you must study it yourself. Read even half a shloka as your capacity allows and understand its sense — read a chapter or so a day and a great deal will come to be known, heard and understood.
Which chapter of the Shiv Mahapuran carries the complete Ganesh narrative?
The thirteenth chapter of the Kumar Khand in the Rudra Samhita — the second of the seven Samhitas — which holds the complete story of Bhagavan Ganapati. The frame is a conversation between Brahma and Narad, recounted by Sut ji.
What is promised to someone who recites the Ganesh Akhyan daily?
That whatever desire is held, if the complete Akhyan is recited daily with that desire, the desire is certainly fulfilled. The sonless obtain a son; a girl not finding a groom obtains one very quickly; one whose wealth was destroyed obtains wealth.
Is the Ganapati born in the Shiv Mahapuran the same as Maha Ganapati?
No — always keep this in mind. Maha Ganapati is present from the beginning of creation and is a Mahashakti; the Ganapati discussed in the Shiv Mahapuran or spoken of generally is not the same. By Kalpa-bheda many Ganapatis have been, just as many Brahmas, Vishnus and Rudras have been.
Parvati, Shiva and Ganesh each separately say "what is destined will happen" — a signal placed in the Purana
The speaker treats it as a signal placed in the Purana. First Bhagavati says it, then Bhagavan Shiva, and now Ganpati says it too — understand from that which way the signal points.
Read merely as a story, the Purana stays a story — the message hidden behind the story has to be taken
The Purana is not everyone's to grasp. Read and recited merely as a tale, it stays a tale. The speaker notes that many have completed the whole Shiv Mahapuran and, having read it as story, understood nothing and felt no difference — where would a difference come from, he asks.
Ganesh pulled at Brahma's beard — and Brahma himself says he went there deluded by ignorance
Ganesh grew angry at the sight of him and began pulling out his beard. Read the signal, the speaker says: Brahma himself states in the Shiv Mahapuran that, not knowing that particular matter, deluded by ignorance he went there with the Rishis.
Why must Ganesh be worshipped before any other deity?
Because of the joint boon of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva: that as the three of them are worshipped in the three worlds, so shall Ganesh be worshipped by all; that men should worship him first and then them; and that if anyone worships other deities without worshipping him, he will not obtain the fruit of that worship.
Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma each worshipped Ganesh, all called him Sarvadhyaksha, and Shiva gave his boons — Ganadhyaksha, and the foremost name in destroying obstacles
It is written plainly that worship without his worship is not even accepted. Shiva then worshipped Ganesh himself, then Vishnu, then Brahma, and all called him Sarvadhyaksha. Shiva's boons: that when he is content the world is content; that the son of Shakti should always be happy; that his name will be foremost in destroying obstacles; and that from today he is the president of all Shiva's Ganas.
How many rudraksha may be worn, and where is the mahatmya described?
Wearing five hundred rudraksha is accepted, the speaker says, and if a thousand and eight are worn it is held better still. He tells listeners to look at and study the Rudraksha Mahatmya in the Shiv Mahapuran once, which will clear the whole concept.
Bhagavati Sati took the form of Sita to test Shri Ram, and Shiva renounced her for it
Had you heard the Puranas, he says, you would know why Bhagavan Shiva renounced Sita — that is, Bhagavati Sati, not Parvati ji — when she assumed the form of Bhagavati Sita and went before Ram ji to test him. He notes this whole subject is according to kalpa bheda, but that at least this much must be known: because she took on the form of Bhagavati Sita, Bhagavan Shiva renounced her, saying that you had gone into the form of the Mother alone.
Which Shiv Sahasranama should be recited?
The speaker says you may do whichever Shiv Sahasranama you wish. In the Shiv Mahapuran discussion the subject of many Shiv Sahasranamas came up. But the stuti by the thousand names of Bhagavan Shiva that was made by Bhagavan Shri Hari Narayana — if you do that one, it is greatly divine, because in it the Bhagavan obtained a great deal. Bhagavan Shri Hari Narayana is the greatest bhakta of Bhagavan Shiva; do the Shiv Sahasranama stuti made by him.
Can Shaligram ji be placed upon a Shivling for abhishek?
From where do all these subjects arise, the speaker asks — what kind of question is this? Who said that Shaligram ji should be placed upon Shiva ji and abhishek done? Study the Shiv Mahapuran: what have Bhagavan Shri Hari Narayana and Bhagavan Shri Brahma ji said about Bhagavan Shiva? They call Bhagavan Shiva king, that you are Rajadhiraj — on which account Bhagavan Shiva is never kept without a crown. And upon that Bhagavan Shiva you are saying Shaligram ji should be placed. He says this is where he has to open his mouth about the Vaishnavas though he does not wish to speak, because many people's emotions get hurt and then they begin to hammer in nails that you have malice toward the Vaishnavas — in which case say so first, and then we will not listen to you.
Why is jalabhishek necessary in Savan?
Jalabhishek is necessary, the speaker says, because it is described in the puranas that this was the very time when Bhagavan Maharudra, Mahashiva, drank the poison, and because of its heat such fire arose in his body that in order to keep him cool, to make him cool, abhishek was performed through the whole of the Shravan month by various devatas and by Bhagavati, by which his poison was quieted, his body came into a saumya form, and he could do the welfare of creation.
What should people living in a teerth kshetra do, and what about the Shiv Mahapuran?
Besides this, the speaker says, those who live in a teerth kshetra should do the sadhana and puja of whatever form of Mahadev is at that place, according to that place. And the paath of the Shiv Mahapuran, if you recite the entire Shiv Mahapuran in the Shravan month, gives wondrous benefit.
What should be recited if the whole Shiv Mahapuran cannot be done?
If you cannot do the whole paath, the speaker says, he will ask you to recite two samhitas. First, recite the Rudra Samhita — whether you do one parayan or two. What it means is: in the Krishna Paksha recite the whole Rudra Samhita once, then in the Shukla Paksha too recite the whole Rudra Samhita once. If you cannot do that, you may recite the Kailash Samhita instead; a complete paath of one of these two samhitas once in each paksha should be done.
What does the Shiv Puran itself say about the Rudra Samhita?
Read the mahatmya of the Shiv Puran first, in the Shiv Puran itself, the speaker says: in it, Suta ji says that in this entire world he has not seen any sin, has not seen any dosha, that is not ended, not burnt to ashes, by the recitation of the Rudra Samhita. That is, the quieting of all doshas will come about.
How does one keep the mind steady in sadhana in every circumstance?
Asked how to keep the mind steady in sadhana in every circumstance, the speaker answers: Gita paath. Whose Gita? If you chiefly worship Bhagavan Sadashiva, recite the Shiv Gita — every question of yours will be answered in it. Whoever your ishta is, recite that ishta's Gita; otherwise the Bhagavad Gita is always there. Recite the Shiv Mahapuran and you will get answers to very many of your questions; recite one adhyaya each day, or half an adhyaya.
May women offer bhasma on a Shivling?
Asked whether women may offer bhasma on a Shivling, the speaker says that with bhasma lepan there is in some places a prohibition even in general, that not every person should offer bhasma in every time and every state. But on the subject of bhasma being offered by women there is a prohibition in very many places. Women should not offer bhasma, nor should they apply bhasma lepan on the forehead; they may apply bhasma on the throat and so on.
Can puja and paath be resumed during sutak and patak?
A listener says both sutak and patak have attached in his household — twenty-one days have passed for the sutak and eighteen days for the patak — and asks whether he may study the Shiv Puran in Shravan and restart puja and japa from Guru Purnima. The speaker says that if sutak and patak have attached and are not complete, then puja paath, dhoop, deep and the touching of the Shri vigrahas should be kept entirely prohibited; they should not be done.
What may be recited during sutak and patak?
What paath can be done? On reciting the Shiv Mahapuran the speaker says he will not speak with full certainty, but you may recite the Shiv Gita in this state. If you wish to recite the whole Shiv Mahapuran too, then you may, having become pure, without lighting dhoop or deep, keeping it on good cloth and on a good asana. But dhoop, deep and all of that are not to be done, and it is not to be done in the puja room or at the place of worship.
Which publication of the Shiv Puran should be used, and how are ashok leaves used?
Asked which publication's Shiv Puran should be taken for recitation, the speaker says you may take Thakur Prasad's, or Gita Press's, which comes in two full parts, Purvardh and Uttarardh, in which you may recite the complete Shiv Mahapuran; it will be very good, and avoid the abridged edition. Asked about ashok leaves, he says they are used for decoration in the house — at the very place where we put mango leaves for the bandhanwar on the main door, ashok leaves should be used too, and they should be used to decorate the home shrine as well.
Which Shiv Sahasranama did Narayan himself recite?
You all know, the speaker says, that the paath of the Sahasranama of Shiva ji was done by Bhagavan Shri Narayan when he obtained the Sudarshan chakra. So the Shiv Sahasranama paath done by Bhagavan Shri Narayan that is described in the Shiv Mahapuran — do the paath of that.
Is there a special vidhan for reciting the Shiv Puran, like the Saptashati?
The speaker says that if you have taken birth in the Sanatan sanskriti, in the Sanatan dharma, then you have taken birth only to go towards Sanatan; and the form of Sanatan itself is Shiva, so birth has been taken only to go towards Shiva. Asked whether there is a special vidhan for reciting the Shiv Puran like there is for the Saptashati, he says its vidhan has been given at the very beginning — read it once and see how it should be done. You will not be able to follow every rule in it, he says, but there is no complicated rule like the Saptashati's, because this is a purana.
What must still be observed while reciting the Shiv Mahapuran?
Full care is to be taken of shauch and ashauch, the speaker says, keeping all these things in mind. In the Saptashati, if you are doing the complete paath in Sanskrit at one sitting, many kramas emerge; and in the Shiv Mahapuran too there is its own great deal of krama, but you may do the ordinary paath. You may recite one adhyaya each day, or you may do more than that too. Asked whether he gives deeksha, he answers: no.
Is shakti one or many?
The second thing, the speaker says, is that shakti is only one and has held different forms; this is the breadth of our Sanatan. And it is for this reason that he says again and again: read the Gita of your own ishta. In every shakti this same one thing has been said in every form.
What lies at the root of every purana's account of creation?
Whoever you accept, listen to them; they have said the very same thing, the speaker says — the speech of all is alike. The form is becoming different but all are somewhere one. When you look at the beginning of all of them: recite the Shrimad Devi Bhagavat and it is told there that all the devi devta are manifesting through Bhagavati; in the Shiv Mahapuran all are manifesting through Shiva ji; read other Vaishnav puranas and all the devi devta are manifesting through Vishnu ji. But at the root of all of them comes one thing — that first Ishwar was nirakar, a wish arose in him, and he manifested his sakar form.
How much power is in the Gayatri mantra?
Asked how much power there is in the Gayatri mantra, the speaker exclaims, and says he will not speak the mantra itself, but that in the Veda Gayatri is supreme, and in all the Gitas that exist it has been said that among mantras I am Gayatri — in the Shiv Gita Shiva ji, in the Shiv Mahapuran too Shiva ji, and in the Gita Shri Krishna himself. So her mahima is limitless.
Even a brahmin with the sacred thread should not do it with pranava — see the Shiva Mahapurana
To a listener who says he is a brahmin with the sacred thread, the speaker says that even so it should not be done with pranava. Look through the Shiva Mahapurana without pranava, he says, and you will find out.
Is there any dosha in reading one adhyaya of a purana daily?
He tells the listener Virendra Sahu that he is doing very well reading one adhyaya daily, and that there is no dosha in it. Whoever they are, he says, if in this same way they take up any one purana of their own aradhya — take up the Devi Maa Bhagavat, take up the purana of whomever they worship — and read one adhyaya each day, that is a very, very good thing. There is no dosha in it.
What should be done with a six-petalled bilva patra that has been offered?
He tells the listener Shashikant that the six-petalled bel patra he offered should, after the pujan, be picked up with a pranam, or picked up at the time of nirmalya when it is to be lifted, and kept in the Shiv Mahapuran or the like. You can worship it in the form of Skanda, he says. Mangal will be very strong and pleased — keep it.
A twenty-two year old whose ishta is Shiva wants to merge in him — what sadhana is given?
A listener says he is twenty-two, that Shiva ji is his ishta, that he wishes to merge in him alone, and asks for a sadhana. He calls it a very good thing that at this age he wishes to surrender himself to Bhagavan Sadashiva, and gives the first task: bring the Shiv Mahapuran home — the complete one, not the abridged one — and recite only one adhyaya daily. That is the very first task.
Reading it through teaches which samhita fulfils which kamana
From the first adhyaya onwards — how many times in your life will you be able to recite the Shiv Mahapuran again and again? In that same order you will come to know how many samhitas have been given in the Shiv Mahapuran, and by reciting which samhita what fulfilment of which desires takes place. Accordingly you should then go on reciting those adhyayas daily; that is best for you.
Once initiated, ask the guru for a Shiva mantra and do panchang sevan
Further on, if you are initiated, or when you obtain some fit guru and receive diksha from him, then request him to bestow on you a mantra related to Shiva ji, and go forward in life doing its repeated pravachan and anushthan and doing panchang sevan. For the present, he says, do the anushthan of the Shiv Mahapuran well.
What is said in public about the Panchakshari mantra?
The speaker reports the popular voice as saying that people are being stopped for the Panchakshari — child, nothing happens, the Panchakshari is Shiva ji's, no dosha attaches to Baba's mantra, just do it. His answer is to say: sometime pick up and read the Shiv Mahapuran. To which the reply comes, why should we read, what will come of reading, when without reading we have become so rich and have crores of followers, so what shall we do by reading?
Is the Tulsi leaf to be offered in the naivedya or only at the feet?
The speaker says that the guru of that same podcast, whose videos are going viral, says that in their tradition Tulsi ji is not offered in the Lord's naivedya. But it is a shastrokta statement — in the Shankhachuda prakaran of the Shiv Mahapuran it has just been seen that the Lord gave the blessing and the boon that only when Tulsi ji is offered in the naivedya will he accept the bhog, and otherwise he will not accept the naivedya. Yet they say Tulsi is offered only at the Lord's feet, and that if offered in the naivedya the naivedya itself would become jhoota.
The katha of the forty-nine Marudganas at Shiva and Sati's vivah is the standing example
He asks a question of listeners: you read this thing in ten places — in what manner the katha of the forty-nine Marudganas stands, at the time of Shiva's vivah, of the vivah of Shiva and Sati. At that place the commentators write the thing down in a very wrong way, and then write that on account of fear of length the thing is not being told fully. That, he says, brings anger — put the thing in, because an ordinary person reading it will only take it as absurd, will only understand it wrongly.
Those of wicked chitta who separate you from your ishta and your household devatas are to be ignored, and one's own shastras read instead
Save yourselves from these ponga people, he says. Do not listen to the words of these people of durbuddhi, kubuddhi and wicked chitta who separate you from your ishta aradhya and from the chief devatas of your house. Read your own shastras, read your own Puranas — you will understand how the utpatti happened and what their importance is. You and I may say something wrong, but what is written in the Purana, what has been discussed about them in the shastras and the tantra shastra, cannot be wrong.
Who has adhikar over the Panchakshari mantra?
From the Shiv Mahapuran katha, in which the mahima and vidhi vidhan of the Panchakshari mantra given by Bhagwan Shiva were described at length, he restates: people of all four varnas have adhikar over the Panchakshari, anyone at all can do its japa. Those whose yajnopavita has not been done will do it without the pranava; those whose yajnopavita has been done may do it with the pranava, taking their guru's adesh. The fourth varna and women will do the japa placing namah afterwards.
Why is the mool form of a mantra best?
As much benefit as can come from the mool, he says, will come from nothing else. So do what has been stated as the mool matter in the Shiv Puran, which is a shastrokta matter. Do the Panchakshari by the vidhi vidhan that has been given, and there will be great benefit.
What should be done against a persistent hostile affliction?
If this trouble is happening very much to everyone, he says, then the very first thing everyone should do is a havan of Batuk Bhairav ji at home on a Sunday or a Tuesday — do it or have it done. And his kavach too should be worn. He adds that the Shiv Mahapuran katha will absolutely be begun.
Where is the origin of the Shmashan Bhairav form described, and who may worship it today?
The chief and original form of the Shmashan Bhairavs is the one we can name with proof, he says, because the puranas describe it. In the Shiv Mahapuran, in the kathas he has heard, the subject arises that at the time of the war the Shmashan Bhairav certainly arrived, and many forms of the Bhairavs came to fight on Bhagavan Shiva's side. But in the Kalika Purana there is a very detailed description of how the Shmashan Bhairav form of Bhagavan came into being and what its purpose is. Today, he says, the pujan of this form is limited to the tantric parampara acharyas remaining in kula paramparas — and that is proper — but ordinary sadhaks should, at the divine times, perform its avahan and pujan to the best of their capacity even by the sattvik dakshinacharya vidhi, so that we may be protected.
Surviving to see the face of the sixth day is itself the grace of Bhagavati Shashthi Parameshwari
The grace of Bhagavati Shashthi Parameshwari is upon you, he says, and that is why you are alive today and are listening. If her grace were not there, if you had done some wicked karma, you would not be able to see the face of the sixth day; you would be told beforehand to move on. As with the niyam of the sadosh vrat — in the Shri Mahapuran there is the account of Bhadrayu, he says, though he cannot recall the name correctly, in which his mother did not perform the vrat properly, and it is described how deaths followed in various ways.
How many forms does Bhagavan Bhairav have, and which should a home worship?
Bhagavan Bhairav's form is not one. Chiefly he is said to be established as Kaal Bhairav, Batuk Bhairav and Baal Bhairav; the Brahmavart Puran and Brahmanda Puran give many forms, and the tantra granthas give many more that a reader will never have seen. At home, the speaker repeats, worship your kula Bhairav if you know him, or else Batuk Bhairav chiefly; a third option is the Bhairav of a Shakti Peeth.
Read the shastra yourself instead of believing a speaker, and understand your own devata for yourself.
Come out of the duragraha that grips you, he says, and understand your own ishwar, your own devata, the swaroop of your own Bhagavan. This will not happen merely by his saying so — why should you believe him, he may be telling you something fabricated. Open your own shastras and Puranas: read the Shiv Mahapuran, and if you get time read the Ling Puran, so that you become able to answer others properly.
Is shav sadhana done for mukti?
What is done in shav sadhana for the sake of mukti becomes a wholly pure sadhana, the speaker says, and that is a different thing altogether — people simply do not do the sadhana for that. People do not do shav sadhana for the sake of mukti; where do they do it for the sake of the pure sadhana? They do it for obtaining kautuk vidya; they do it for obtaining siddhi. For moksha, he says, read the Ling Puran — leave aside the tantra granthas, or the discourses and lectures of tantra, or even everything he himself is saying, and read the Ling Puran, where you will find a good description of what the vidhan of shav sadhana is, how it should be done, and what mukti results.
Where is the prohibition on Vedokta pronunciation written?
When people ask where it is written, the speaker answers: then read. Read the Shiv Mahapuran — in it, with regard to the Vedokta, it has been written that these mantras should not be pronounced in such and such ways. Read the Vishwasara Samhita, which he says he has mentioned many times. You do not accept it, you do it, and difficulty arises.
Why is Kuber in the north of a Shiva temple and Indra in a Ram temple?
Look in the Shiva mandal, the speaker says, and there is Yaksharaj Kuber ji — because Yaksharaj Kuber ji is a friend of Shiva ji. And besides him there are also very many of his ganas. He directs the listener to the Vishveshvara Samhita passage of the Shiv Mahapuran: hear it once, read it, and there, when a temple of Shiva ji is built, you will find at length which and which of them are installed, and how many of his ganas are installed.
What should someone do on Phalgun Purnima night who cannot do mantra japa?
The night of Phalgun Purnima has great importance. Those who do not wish to do anything tantra-related on it should do path and shravan of the kathas connected with their ishta aradhya — for instance a path of any one samhita of the Shiv Mahapuran: the Vishveshvar Samhita, the Rudra Samhita, the Kailash Samhita, whichever is wished.
What is the mahima of the Vindhya kshetra for mantra japa?
It is said in the subject of mantra japa that those who do mantra japa upon the Vindhyachal mountain obtain a fruit koti-koti times greater in the Vindhya kshetra; the mahima of the Vindhya kshetra is held to be seven times that of the Purushottam kshetra. Even so, he adds, the kshetra of your own ishta aradhya is the highest for you.
Why is japa on the Vindhya hill held to be so fruitful?
Because it is also the summit of a mountain; because Jagadamba has dwelt there from the beginning of time; because it is a region of siddhas from endless ages, a tirtha kshetra and a maha siddha peeth. It is in the Shiv Mahapuran, he says, that mantra japa performed on a mountain peak is the greatest and the best.
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